Hello, I was wondering if anyone could tell this novice the pros and cons of privacy information on a website. I don't sell anything, so I have no real reason to store information. However, I know with cookies, especially if you subscribe to a counter program or a poll, they may put a cookie on a person's website. I also use google analytics. Any info or links would be appreciated. I like to do things the right way.
It isn't a legal requirement, but if you are asking visitors to fill any forms out, you should probably have one for liability reasons. There is speculation that google likes to see a privacy policy on a website, but whether it gives you any rankings boost is unknown and probably very little if any. If you run adsense, a privacy policy is required. Other advertising programs may also have their own requirements.
Thanks for your answers. Much appreciated. I did have a follow for you or anyone else...I subscribe to websites such as thecounter.com, freepolls.com, e-guestbook.com, etc. I am sure in addition their HTML language to my site, they may drop cookies everytime someone visits in going thru their sites. I think everybody does. My question is with these external sites, should they also be part of my privacy policy.
You could add something like "We also use third party services such as ________ and these sites may use cookies....."